Devendra Fadnavis asks BJP to relieve him of deputy CM duties after Maharashtra setback

Since the elections were fought under my leadership and the results were not up to expectations, I am taking responsibility for the defeat, Fadnavis said

MUMBAI — In a stunning turn of events following the Bharatiya Janata Party's lacklustre performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections, senior leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced his intention to request the party's central leadership to relieve him of his post in the state government.

Devendra Fadnavis announced his decision at a press conference in Nariman Point. (HT Photo/Satish Bate)

Speaking at a media conference at the BJP's Mumbai office on Wednesday, Fadnavis took full responsibility for the party's electoral debacle, stating, "Since the elections were fought under my leadership and the results were not up to expectations, I am taking responsibility for the defeat." He further added that he would soon make a formal request to the party's central leadership in Delhi, who would make the final decision on the matter.

Fadnavis emphasised the need for corrective measures at the organisational level ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls, in light of the Lok Sabha results. "I want to put my full strength and might into the Assembly polls by taking the corrective steps. For that, I have decided to devote my full time to the organisation, and hence I have decided to request the central leadership of the party to relieve me from the post," he explained.

The state BJP's election management committee and core committee held multiple meetings to analyse the party's poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls. Fadnavis acknowledged that while the number of seats lost was significant, the party's vote share had only decreased by 1.2 per cent. He cited factors such as the false narrative about scrapping the constitution, the party's failure to counter it, anti-incumbency against BJP candidates, and issues related to onion and soybean prices as contributing to the party's defeat. Fadnavis also highlighted the need to resolve coordination issues with the party's allies.

Immediately following Fadnavis's announcement, the party's core committee reconvened and urged him to reconsider his decision. State unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, "He is upset over the results of the elections and so has announced his intention to divest of the responsibility in the state government. We have requested him not to take any such decision as we need him to continue with both the responsibilities. We have requested him to devote 4 days to the organisation and the remaining days of the week to the government. We are hopeful that he will accept our request."

The BJP's seat tally in Maharashtra dropped from 23 in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to just 9 in the 2024 polls. The National Democratic Alliance's tally in the state also saw a significant decline, falling from 41 seats in 2019 to 17 in the recent elections.

Fadnavis was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra on June 30, 2022, as part of the government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.